Huskers Set Sights on NCAA Sectional

The undefeated <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska rifle team turns its attention to the NCAA Sectional this Thursday, Feb. 9 as it heads to Colorado Springs, Colo., to compete on the AirForceAcademy campus.  The match is slated to begin at 9 a.m. with both the Huskers and Falcons competing for recognition by the National Rifle Association as 2006 All-Americans.  <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

All-American status is awarded to those individuals who shoot well at the sectional without regard to overall season performance.  That said, a competitor with a relatively low season average can still garner All-America status by shooting well during the Sectional.

 

The Huskers enter the 2006 NRA Sectional sporting a pair of past NRA All-Americans in senior Misty Chanek and junior Kristina Fehlings.  In 2004, Chanek earned second-team honors in both disciplines, while Fehlings made third-team in smallbore and first in air rifle.  Last season, Chanek and Fehlings distinguished themselves once more in both events with Chanek once again garnering a pair of second-team honors and Fehlings improving to second-team in air rifle and repeating her first-team honor in the smallbore.

 

In addition to individual recognition, the sectional compares scores from across the United States in order to crown an NRA team champion.  Not only will this put the Huskers in competition with top programs like Army and Alaska-Fairbanks, but it will also give NU the opportunity to compare its progress one final time before heading into the NCAA Qualifier two days later on Feb. 11.   Finally, the team score Nebraska earns at the sectional can be counted as one of a three-score average that, in addition to score set at the NCAA Qualifier, determines which programs advance to the NCAA Championships in March. 

 

 

NCAA Qualifier Next Step in NU Title Hopes

After competing at the NRA Sectional on Thursday, Feb. 9 the Huskers will remain in Colorado Springs, Colo., through the weekend to shoot in the NCAA Qualifier on Saturday.  The match begins collegiate postseason action for Nebraska and is the next step in NU’s run for an NCAA team championship.

 

The team score from the qualifier, combined with a three-score average from the regular-season, determines which six programs advance to the NCAA Championships on March 10 and 11 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

 

The Huskers have been a part of that six-team field for the past two years and a total of four times in school history.  Nebraska’s highest finish to date is third, which it earned in 2000 and again last season in 2005.

 

 

The Last Time...

At the NCAA Sectional and Qualifier in 2005, the Huskers put up some of their best performances of the season and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season. 

 

With both events held at Alaska-Fairbanks, Nebraska had plenty to live up to last season.  During the sectional, the Huskers shot a 4,660, while three NU shooters earned All-America honors from the National Rifle Association.  Misty Chanek finished with second-team honors in both smallbore (585) and air rifle (589), Kristina Fehlings earned second-team in smallbore (576) and first-team in air rifle (592) while Kim Chrostowski added third-team honors in air rifle (583).

 

At the NCAA Qualifier the next day, Nebraska stepped up to the challenge and tabbed a season-high team score of 4,693 to push through to the NCAA Championships where it finished third overall.

 

 

2005-06 Season Recap

? NU vs. Air Force (Oct. 22) - The Huskers shot a 4,686 to kick off the 2005-06 season and lock down a win over Air Force at the Nebraska Rifle Range.  Senior Misty Chanek marked a score of 591 to lead the Huskers in smallbore.  The score also tied Chanek’s career high in the discipline.  NU also performed well in the air rifle where it took the top four spots led by a score 590 by sophomore Andrea Franz?n. 

 

? NU vs. Air Force (Oct. 23) - Nebraska secured win No. 2 over Air Force in the second meeting with a season-high team score of 4,687.  The Huskers also shot a season-high smallbore score of 2,339.  Individually, several NU shooters scored career highs in air rifle including a 593 for Franz?n to tie her previous best, and a 582 for junior Stacy Underwood who bested her previous career high by five points.

 

? NU at Ole Miss (Nov. 5) - The Huskers took their winning ways on the road against Ole Miss and grabbed their third consecutive victory on Nov. 5.  Sophomore Kirsten Weiss earned top honors in the smallbore with a final score of 680, while Franz?n again dominated air rifle with a score of 592.

 

? NU at Memphis (Nov. 6) - NU secured its second consecutive GARC win against Memphis after a win against Ole Miss the previous day.  With the loss of sophomore Kim Chrostowski to the CAT Championships in Puerto Rico, Franz?n made her season debut in the smallbore lineup and finished fifth overall with a score of 580.  Chanek performed well in both disciplines and used her 585 in air rifle to share the meet title in the event with Memphis’ Krissey Bahnsen.

 

? NU vs. Kentucky (Nov. 17) - Nebraska topped Kentucky by its smallest margin of victory on the season, 4,661-4,653.  Junior Kristina Fehlings shot a career-high 591 in air rifle for a fourth-place finish overall, while Franz?n once again took the top spot with a score of 592 in regulation and 99 in finals.

 

? NU vs. UMKC (Dec. 3) - The Huskers closed out the year with their fifth win of the season as they easily routed UMKC, 4,668-4,493.  The victory marked the first time NU has not lost a match during the fall since 2001-02.  Sophomore Eva Richert scored a season-high in air rifle with a 587.  Nebraska notched the top four spots in smallbore with senior Misty Chanek taking top honors with a match-high score of 590.

 

? NU at Army (Jan. 14) - In perhaps the biggest highlight of the season, Nebraska topped defending national champion Army in West Point, N.Y.,  4,676-4,657.  The win extended NU’s winning streak to 13 since the Huskers last lost to the Black Knights on Nov. 13 of 2004.  Nebraska won both the smallbore (2,323) and air rifle (2,353) as a team and placed a Husker atop each event individually.  Misty Chanek and Kristina Fehlings shared top air rifle honors (591), while Chanek took the smallbore title solo with a score of 587.

 

? NU at Palmyra, West Virginia (Jan. 16) - NU easily tabbed a win over Palmyra and West Virginia at the Palmyra Invitational with a team score of 4,653.  Although not one of Nebraska’s more stellar team performances, the victory allowed the Huskers to remain unbeaten on the season.